Rubber glove



July 27, 1943. R a LEWISv 2,325,330

RUBBER GLOVE Filed Oct. 15, 1939 IN V EN TOR:

50m) J? LEM/18,

Patented July 27, 1943 Richard S; Lewis, Willard, Y1 Ohio; assignor to Pioneer" Rubber Company; Willard, Ohio Application October 13, 1939, Serial No.299,376

The invention relates to improvement in 7 method cfmanufacture of rubber gloves and in the structural formationof such gloves, to the end that novel improvements in the form and function of such'gloves will be attained.

It is well knownby those Wearing rubber gloves, and by themanufacturer that such gloves tend to roll from the edge of the wristlet-or gauntlet portion, especially in such gloves as are formed With a rolled 'edge and l have also found such rollingtenden'cy'to developwhere the'edge pore tion has been thickened but retained in flat form for a distance by the application of a reinforcing strip encirclingtheextreme edge of rist. 'In surgical gloves this tendency of the glove to roll'down from theedge of the Wrist is a serious objection and hampers'procedure in. an operation seriously. It is therefore an important aim of my invention to constructthe edge portion of the wrist or gauntlet in such manner that it will remain fiat against the armor the wearer and will resist any tendency to roll, whether by an inherent elasticity and't'e'nsion around the Wrist, or by engagement with objects rubbing against the edge of the glove. j

It is also'an aim toleffect'the improvement in the functional characteristics of the glove atthe same time that a substantial;reinforcement of the glove iseffected, an'dto enable the use of my inventionin'conjunction' with various patterns or finishing or reinforcing methods.

The r'olled edge has been. formed on such-gloves to overcome the weakness of the feather edge produced at the opening in the clipping of the form, tofacilitatethe removal of the glove from the form, and to'minimiz'e the liability of tearing the edge in such removal orin the ultimate use of the glove.

Somegloves are formed with both the rolled edge and a band binding located at or near the rolLbut this does not stop the tendency of the glove edge to roll or cup when in use, and once a roll starts, tends to continue. r

The extremeseriousnesspf the objection to this action in surgical gloves will be appreciated when it is understood that it is a primary rule for surgeons to leave no part of their arm exposed during operations, and surgical gloves are made with close-fitting gauntlets of sufficient length to extend well over the sleeves of the gown or blouseworn by the surgeon. Adjacent the line where the sleeve passes. from under the glove there is considerable fullness in the sleeve. By

the inherent resilience of the fibers of the garmentgit bulges outwardly abruptly beyond the 1 Claim. (era-16s)" g glove edge and the immediately adjacent sleeve portionexerts an expansive force whichturns the edge, of the glove outwardly. In the case of a mere flat edge even if thickened, the extreme edge is momentarily put under greater tension because of resistance of the outer surface portion to compression at the bend, but as soon as an additional portion of the edge portion is turned outward, projecting the edge further, the

latter .is. relieved and permitted to contract.

slightly, resting against the subjacent external surface of the gauntlet. Here it engages frictionally, sothat as further portions are turned outward, it becomes engaged under thefollowing portions and forms arolln Where a rolled edge is formed on the glovein manufacture, the action immediately begins at the stage last mentioned.

In both instance'sthe rolling movement is furthered by the contraction of the roll at its inner part .on the glove. these tendencies, as will appear. 0 a

My invention counteracts A further important aim of the invention is to evolve a novel structural detail for the edge portion of ,thewrist in such alglove, and a novel methodbf forming the edge portion whereby it will function properlyand attain various addi tionaladvantage's. e r 7 Additional advantages, objects, and features of invention reside in the construction, arrange- 'mentfand method of assembling of the parts, as will be readily understood from the following description'and accompanying drawing, wherein Figure l as in elevation of aglove form, with a glove bodyformed thereon andpartially broken Figure 2 is a fragmentary view of-the form and glove similar to Figure 1, illustrating a further stagje'in-thevformation of the glove. Figure 3 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional View of an edge portion of the glove, greatly enlarged.

Figure 4 aview similar to Figure .1, showing one ofthe possiblemethods of forming the wrist edge portion."

"Figurefi is a View similar to Figure '3, of the forii'io-f edging involved in Figure Fl. 7 Figure-6 is a View similar to Figure 3 of a further modification. v I i There is illustrated a form It), familiar in the art for the production of rubber gloves, this form having'finger portions H and an arm portion l2.

A glove body I3 is formed on this form by any 'usualfpractice of dipping and vulcanizing, these detailsbeing well understood in the art, and comprisingno novel feature of my invention; However, it is important in my invention that the wrist edge portion M of the glove shall be uniform and that it shall correspond to a line parallel to the finished edge of the wrist or gauntlet portion of the glove when finished. After partial or completion of the vulcanization of the body of the glove, a band I6 of elastic rubber stock is applied to the edge portion of the gauntlet, either with or without the application of an" adhesive to secure it in place, according to the method pursued. This band'may be of thicker material than the body of the glove. note that the band is so applied that it projects the body of the band I6. If desired, the glove may be stripped from the form before the band IE is applied and the glove reversed, so that the side'originally next to the form is brought to the outer side, after which a form corresponding to the arm portion shown in Figure 2 may be inserted in the glovewhile the band It is applied as before indicated.

If desired, an additional band 19 slightly narrower than the band it may be applied to the inner surface of the glove body adjacent and extending slightly beyond the edge portion I4, its inner edge 2% being alined with the inner edge 2! of the band It, while its outer edge 22 stops short of the corresponding outer edge of the band, as shown in Figures 4 and 5. In this way, a very narrow further feathered portion 23 is formed at the extreme edge of the glove.

If desired, the inner band I9 may be applied on the form It as a band of latex which is partially cured, or completely cured, before the dipping of the form to produce the body portion of the glove, the clipping then being effected so that the upper edge portion of the band I 9 is not submerged. After such further treatment of the body as may be required, or desired, the band l6 may then be, applied as previously described, without removal of the body of the glove from the form, and any necessary final treatment of the completed structure then carried out, either while on the form or after removal, according to v the nature of the treatments given.

In the use of such gloves, it will be appreciated that the sizes selected are such that the extreme edge of the gauntlet portion will fit tightly around the arm of the wearer, producing tension in the edge portion of the glove, so that in ordinary gloves having the rolled edge, this edge tends to automatically roll inwa'rdly or downwardly upon the glove, exposing the arm portions of the wearer in an undesired manner. The same efiect is manifest with gloves having a fiat thickened edge, in lesser degree, such gloves tending to roll if any object strikes against the edge thereof in a direction such as to move. the edge portion toward the outer part of the gloveon the wearers arm.

By the construction of my invention as illustrated, the extreme, edge portion of the glove at 18 .or 23 as the case may be, it'is subjected to much lesser-tension than the thicker portion It isimportant to beyond the finished edge l4 of the original body therebeyond, so that it does not tend to facilitate the rolling thereof in case any object strikes against the edge of the glove, but such movement if developed, will be opposed by increasing tension in the projected feather edge to tend to stop the rolling movement and also when turned over outwardly upon the outer surface of the glove, this feather edge tends to lie flat against .the glove surface, which will further oppose tendency to roll, if developed in the thicker portion thereadjacent.

Experience with gloves made in accordance with my invention'has shown that it is extremely difiicult to cause them to roll downwardly upon the arm and wrist of the wearer, especially in starting of such rolling action.

The importance'of developing a glove which will oppose rolling movement will be further appreciated when it is understood that there is usually interposed between the edge portion of the gauntlet and the arm of the wearer a portion of sleeve or cuif, the gathering and bulging of such fabricsbeyond the edge of the glove tending to raise this edge and facilitate rolling thereof in the ordinary'glove. In my glove it has been found that such rolling is completely opposed and stopped, and its initiation prevented.

If desired, additional reinforcement features may be incorporated upon this glove to facilitate its application, as may be found desirable.

While I have described a specific embodiment and procedure-in the production of the glove, it will be understood that these are purely exemplary, and that they are not limiting in the scope of the invention otherwise and hereinafter claimed, and that various changes in form, proportion, and steps of procedure may be followed in the practice of the invention without departing from the spirit thereof.

ff-desired, the glove may be produced by dipping the form as usual and as first described, to produce the body portion of theglove, and then after partial or complete curing of the body portion thus formed, a band or binding 24 similar to the band it may be applied to the gauntlet, spaced inwardly of the edge IA of the opening on the body of the glove, so that the edge portion 25 of the body of. the glove thus becomes the feather edge of the finished glove, as shown in Figure 6. This form of the glove may be reversed after application of the band 25, the surface which had been next the form in the 1nouldmg of the glove thus constituting the outer surface of the finished glove as worn, while the band 2a is located on the inner side of the gauntlet.

The proportions of the parts havebeen exaggerated in the views for the purpose of illusration, and in practice any usual thicknesses of material in the body and finger portions of the glove may be provided. The extent ofprojection of the feather edge i8 or 25 from the adjacent thickened band portion and lapped part of the glove body has been in the neighborhood of of an inch, although this may Joe varied somewhat without sacrificing the advantages of the invention. The thick reinforcement part i! may be one quarter inch in width, more or less, or considerably extended inward on the. auntlet should any reason therefor so dictate.

Another function which is involved in, my invention tending to prevent rolling movement of the edge of the glove, is the fact that if a roll is formed in the feather edge, as soon as it progresses to the outer edge of the thickened part I? or corresponding parts of the other forms prising a body portion formed by dipping to produce a body portion having a terminal edge, an encircling band of thicker rubberapplied thereto, extending from a line inwardly of the edge of said body portion to a line beyond said edge, and a second thinner band of elastic material applied to the inner surface of the glove aligned with the first band, but stopping short of the outer edge of said first band beyond said edge of the 1 body portion of the glove.

RICHARD S. LEWIS. 

